US Delists Former al-Qaeda Affiliate HTS as Its Leader Rules Syria

The US removed Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham from its terrorist organizations list on August 25, 2026. HTS, once al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate — a formal partner of the global terror network — severed ties in 2016 and overthrew Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, now governs Syria. The delisting aligns US counterterrorism designations with the post-Assad reality Washington is betting on.